Call for urgency on Nunnery plan

by Joanne Clague

Former Economic Development Minister John Shimmin has urged the Chief Minister to hold urgent talks with the Manx Educational Foundation, which wants to develop an international centre for technology at the Nunnery in Douglas.

In Tynwald this morning, Mr Shimmin said Allan Bell should not wait for the MEF to report to the Council of Ministers in October to firm up proposals.

Mr Shimmin, who championed the MEF proposal as Minister, said: 'The prospect of leaving this to October may jeopardise the entire scheme.'

The MEF has already had extensions granted by the government to allow it to secure enough funding to buy the Nunnery.

In response to a question from Onchan MHK Peter Karran, who questioned the preferential treatment given to the MEF, Mr Bell said the organisation had confirmed that a major new investor had enabled it to raise the necessary finance.

He told Tynwald that the MEF proposal would result in job creation and raise the profile of the Isle of Man as a centre for e-business. Mr Bell said there were still 'some steps to go' but the outcome looked 'rosy'.